Equipment: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorter (FACS) to Enhance Research Capabilities at Western Kentucky University

An award is made to Western Kentucky University (WKU) to obtain a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) to enhance learning and research training opportunities for the student community at a primarily undergraduate university. It will enable the diverse, undergraduate population to gain hands-on skills with using up-to-date technology in producing high quality research data. Besides undergraduate and Master’s students, high school students from the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science will participate in research enabled by the FACS system. The use of this technology will enrich student learning and research experience through acquisition of new research skills, data analysis and communication of research through presentations at local, regional, and national conferences. The acquisition of FACS will further promote unique learning and research training opportunities and experiences for student as well as provide faculty research opportunities at WKU and in the south-central Kentucky region. The cell sorting machine will enable students and researchers to use modern technology to perform single cell analysis and gain insights of in-vivo molecular changes during normal and stress-related conditions such as an infection, cancer, sleep apnea, or exposure to chemicals. Thus, the award to acquire FACS will favorably impact WKU faculty research in diverse fields including microbiology, immunology, cancer biology, cell cycle progression, toxicology, developmental biology, endocrinology, and neurobiology. It will lead to better understanding of the molecular and signaling pathways for normal functioning of the cells. The instrument will expand opportunities for student involvement in research and enhance research at WKU. The FACS will be used in immunology and cell biology laboratory courses to enable students who are not working in research laboratories to learn the concepts and application of flow cytometry and cell sorting which will build a systematic understanding from acquisition and processing of samples to counting, sorting, and characterizing diverse cell types. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.